Conventionally, a device management system has been proposed which is configured with a plurality of electric devices and an operation control device for controlling the plurality of the electric devices. In such the device management system, the operation control device determines an energy-saving pattern which serves as an operational rule for each of the electric devices, thereby controlling the electric devices in accordance with the energy-saving pattern. This allows energy savings that is an objective of the total system.
In such the conventional system, control content is not sent in real time from the operation control device to the electric devices, but the electric devices autonomously control themselves in accordance with energy-saving patterns that have been sent in advance. This allows a reduction in loads on the operation control device.
Suppose a case where, in such the system, the control of the electric devices in accordance with the conventional energy-saving patterns is at a level at which a user feels uncomfortable. In this case, the user will perform a violent operation being against the energy-saving patterns, for securing user's comfort. In cases of the electric device being an air conditioner, for example, the violent operation includes lowering its setting temperature in a cooling mode and raising the setting temperature in a heating mode.
As a result, the actual operation becomes considerably different from the operation in accordance with the energy-saving patterns set in advance, which makes it difficult to achieve the objective of the total system. This has been a problem.
In view of such the problem, there have been proposed an operation control device and electric devices each equipped with a computing unit to compute an amount of violation which quantitatively expresses the violent operation in a specific period of time (see Patent Literature 1, for example).
In the technology described above, it is possible to grasp the level of conformance of each of the electric devices to the energy-saving pattern, by quantifying the violent operation in the specific period of time. Based on the grasped level, the energy-saving pattern is then modified and/or deleted, thereby allowing the setting of an appropriate energy-saving pattern for the electric device, which can provide a less amount of violent operation.
For example, when a much amount of violent operation is performed in a specific period of time, the energy-saving pattern for the electric device is modified into a more lenient energy-saving pattern. In conjunction with the modification, the energy-saving patterns for other electric devices are also modified. This allows energy savings that achieves the objective of the total system.
In such the conventional technology, for the electric device, the amount of violation that quantitatively expresses the violent operation being against the energy-saving pattern is computed to modify the energy-saving pattern. Accordingly, even when the violent operation such as a setting change is frequently made due to a user's uncomfortable feeling, it is necessary to wait until the elapse of the specific period of time, before modifying the energy-saving pattern. As a result, there is a possibility that the user feels always uncomfortable during the period until the pattern is modified, resulting in a decrease in usability.    Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2010-210209